


Delivery and Complications

by Willowflower_Waterlily



Series: Aches and Healing (Evelyn and Malcolm Series 1) [7]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4068598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowflower_Waterlily/pseuds/Willowflower_Waterlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evelyn goes into labor two weeks early, and suffers from complications. Can help get to her before it's too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Evelyn and Malcolm stand, looking around the house Cullen grew up in. Little things they found set aside for when their friend visits someday. "You should sit down and rest, love" Malcolm sets his hand on her enlarged stomach. "I can see that you're tired, let me tidy up some more."

"I'm not made of glass, you know." Evelyn grouses. "I can deal with being a little tired." Malcolm sets a chair beside her, and Evelyn sits down, sighing as she stretches out her ankles.

"Hello the house!" An unfamiliar voice calls out. Evelyn slowly stands up again, and walks to the door to see who's calling. A blonde woman with tight curls and golden eyes is standing at the steps to the porch. "Hello there, my name is Mia." The woman says smiling. "I'm Cullen's sister. He sent me a letter about how you brought him the letters from our mom, and I wanted to meet you, to thank you in person. I know it meant a lot to him, that you did it. Enough so that he actually wrote me a long letter. He also said that you're pregnant, and since I am a midwife, I thought I could help."

"I... Thank you. We lost track of time, and before we knew it, I was eight months along. We knew that we wouldn't be able to get back to Skyhold in time to be seen by the midwife there." Evelyn eases herself down onto a bench on the porch and pats a spot next to her. Mia walks up the teps and sits down beside her.

"May I?" Mia asks, holding her hands over Evelyn's stomach. When Evelyn nods, Mia feels around the other woman's swollen midsection. "This is a nice sized baby. We're getting close to your due date. I'd say in about a week or two."

"Good, I'm ready to have this baby out of me." Evelyn laughs, patting her waist. "Shall we show you around? We've been renovating the town, but we started here, for Cullen or anyone in his family."

"Please, I'd love to see what you've done." Evelyn, Malcolm, and Mia step in side. The moment Evelyn's feet both land inside the house, a sharp cramp makes her double over. "Looks like little one is ready to be out of you. Let's get you in a clean bed."


	2. Chapter 2

Malcolm wipes the sweat off of Evelyn's brow while Mia checks her progress. "You haven't progressed very far, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, but this is going to take a while." Mia frowns at Evelyn, sympathetically. "I know it is difficult, but try to rest when you can, it will help you have a smoother delivery."

"I've already been in labor for five Maker damned hours." Evelyn growls through clenched teeth. "Cut the baby out of me."

"No, it would kill you." Mia sits down on the bed by Evelyn's feet. "Cutting a baby out is only done when the mother is dying. No woman has ever survived it." Mia stands, patting Evelyn's leg. "You will make it through this, you're a fighter. I'll check on you again in a bit, I'm going to start some dinner for us."

 

Mia quietly slips into the room, to find both Evelyn and Malcolm asleep. She sets the plates of eggs and bacon down on the table, and turns to walk out again when Malcolm touches her hand. He motions to the door, standing up. Mia heads for the door, with Malcolm right behind her. "What are the risks to Evelyn and the baby, the longer the delivery goes on?"

"So long as the waters haven't broken, the baby is fine. Evelyn could have a few things happen to her. The longer it goes on, the more it will tire her out, making the delivery more difficult. There is also more of a chance for infection and bleeding from internal injuries."

"Maker..." Malcolm leans heavily against the wall behind him, his heart consumed with worry.

"You wanted to see me." Cole appears to his left, startling Mia. The spirit looks at them both and nods. "It will take me three days to get there. I'll leave now."

"Thank you Cole, please tell Solana it's urgent." Cole nods and fades away as quickly as he appeared. "It's been at least twelve hours. I pray the baby is born soon."

"As do I," Mia replies quietly.

 

"Push, Evelyn, push!" Mia exclaims, standing ready to catch the baby. "I can see the head, only a few more pushes."

"I am pushing!" Evelyn's voice loud and angry, "I've been in labor for almost a Maker damned day." Malcolm sits behind her helping her push. Evelyn starts to scream, the pain becoming too much. After one more push, her screams are joined by the screams of her baby. Evelyn collapses back against Malcolm, her energy spent. She and Malcolm watch as Mia cleans their baby.

"It's a girl." Mia wraps their baby in clean lines and hands her to Malcolm. Evelyn reaches up for the baby, and Malcolm gently rests her against Evelyn's chest.

"Our baby." Malcolm stares in awe at his little family. "Leandra Bethany Hawke." Watching Evelyn feed their baby fills Malcolm with joy. Evelyn gently switches Leandra from one side to the other, feeding her until she pulls away from Evelyn's breast and burps before falling asleep. Mia picks Leandra up and delicately places her in a bassinet.


	3. Chapter 3

Mia pushes firmly against Evelyn's waist trying to expel the last of the placenta. Evelyn cringes and whimpers each time Mia presses down. "I'm sorry, dear. The entire placenta has been not pushed out, and if it doesn't, it could make you ill."

"I already feel ill." Evelyn replies weakly. Mia sets her hand on Evelyn's forehead, only to jerk it away a second later.

"You're burning up." Mia bites on her lower lip. "But you were fine, just an hour ago." Setting back to her task, Mia is finally able to push the rest of the placenta out. Looking up, she sees Evelyn has fallen asleep with Leandra laying on her chest. Picking the baby up, Mia makes sure that she is still healthy before laying her down in the bassinet.

"How are my ladies doing?" Malcolm's voice makes Mia jump. She turns around, and his face falls. "What's wrong?"

"Evelyn has a fever, which means she probably has an infection. The blood loss has been a little more than what it should be, suggesting there are injuries because the placenta didn't come out as it should have. Her body is still weak from giving birth, and she is mentally exhausted."

"What are you saying?" The expression on Malcolm's face breaks Mia's heart. She knows that he needs to know, but at the same time he doesn't want to know, so he can hope she'll recover.

"It's going to be harder for her to fight the infection, which may become multiple infections due to open wounds." Mia places a hand on his shoulder in a feeble attempt to comfort him. "I am sorry, but there isn't much else I can do. If Solana doesn't get here as soon as she can, Evelyn will most likely not make it." Malcolm reaches out to brace himself on the wall.

"I need to be alone." The pain in Malcolm’s voice makes Mia wish she was a mage. She had never felt so helpless before.

"I understand." Mia squeezes Malcolm's shoulder once more, before leaving him with his family. She prays that Cole can get to Solana quickly enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Evelyn slowly reaches out to touch Malcolm's face. He looks up at her, taking her hand between his. "It's not her fault." Evelyn murmurs her voice barely above a whisper.

"Not who's fault?" Malcolm presses his lips against Evelyn's hand.

"It's not Leandra's fault this happened. Or Mia's, I know that she did her best." Evelyn closes her eyes briefly, struggling to stay awake.

"It's no one's fault, love." Malcolm squeezes her hand tight between his. "Don't talk like that, please. You'll make it through this." The anguish in his pleading voice breaks Evelyn's heart.

"I... I just wanted to make sure you didn't blame our girl... In case..." Evelyn closes her eyes again, and slips away from the waking world mid-sentence.

"Evelyn!" Malcolm shakes his wife, but she barely returns to consciousness, grumbling at him to let her sleep. He quickly checks on his daughter before running out of the room to find Mia.

 

"Mia!" Malcolm cries, running down the steps.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Mia reaches out to embrace Malcolm.

"Evelyn, she was talking to me, and fell unconscious mid-sentence. When I tried to wake her..." Malcolm's shoulders shake as he loses control of his emotions, sobbing into Mia's neck. "I can't... I need her, Leandra needs her."

"How much longer will it take Cole to get to Skyhold?"

"He should be there by now." Malcolm pulls away from Mia, wiping his eyes. "But she... What if she doesn't wake up? What if they don't make it here in time?" Pacing in front of Mia, all of the worst case scenarios flash before his mind's eye. "How do I feed Leandra?"

"There are goats. I will show you how to feed her." Mia stands in Malcolm's way to stop his pacing. "It won't do you or your ladies any good if you worry yourself to death. If Evelyn doesn't make it, your daughter will need you to be strong. I know it's difficult, but try for her."

"I will." Malcolm replies, lowering himself onto the bottom step. "I just can't right now. The thought of losing Evelyn..." Covering his face with his hands, Malcolm cries uncontrollably, while Mia looks on, feeling helpless.


	5. Chapter 5

Cole appears in between Solana and Dorian, standing on the chess board. Pieces roll off as his feet make contact with the surface. "You need to come with me, Evelyn." Cole reaches for Solana to drag her off.

"Slow down, what about Evelyn?" Dorian asks, his heart clenching in fear at the expression on Cole's face.

"Long labor, complications, needs help. Malcolm sent me to get you. We need to hurry, it could be too late. Please." Cole hops off of the small table, and tries to pull them along behind him.

"Dorian, Cole get three horses ready, Cullen and I will meet you at the stables." Solana orders before running off to get Cullen and let her other advisers know what was happening.

 

Ten minutes later, all the preparations are arranged. Solana with Cole riding in front of her, Dorian, and Cullen make for Honnleath. "If we ride through the night, only stopping long enough to water the horses, how long will it take for us to get there?"

"If we ride day and night, probably a day and a half, maybe two days tops." Cullen replies. "Do you think we'll make it in time?"

"I don't know. Time is ticking. We need to get there as fast as we can." Solana presses her heel into her horse’s side to urge it to go faster. 


	6. Chapter 6

Malcolm watches while Mia shows him how to feed Leandra with goat’s milk. "She'll need to be fed every two hours or so, depending on if she's awake or not. I wouldn't recommend waking her to feed. Her body will know when it needs it." Mia holds Leandra against her chest, rubbing the baby's back until she burps. "Hold her, let her get used to you."

"All right," Malcolm reaches for his daughter, making sure to support her neck as he holds her. He takes Leandra to the chair beside Evelyn's bed, and sits down, to be with his ladies. Looking down at his daughter, Malcolm smiles at her blonde hair and light brown eyes, a mix of both her parents. Yawning, Leandra closes her eyes and falls asleep in his arms. Slowly, he stands up, and lays her down in her bassinet. "Is there anything I can do? Anything at all."

"Well, you milked the goat, poorly. You also cleaned the house from top to bottom, made repairs, gave Evelyn a sponge bath, brushed her hair, taken care of Leandra. You can't run yourself ragged like this. Go sleep."

"I can't. What if..." Malcolm kneels beside Evelyn's bed, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. It seems off to him, that she isn't taking as deep of a breath as she should. Malcolm looks frantically over at Mia, panic consuming him.

"Her breathing has slowed and her fever isn't breaking. If they don't get here in a day or two, I don't think she'll make it."

"Isn't there anything you can do? That I can do? A potion?" Malcolm asks, almost begging Mia to think of a way to save Evelyn. She shakes her head, eyes full of sorrow. "So you're telling me I can do nothing, but watch my wife waste away?"

"How long does it take to get here from Skyhold by horse?" Mia asks, trying to give Malcolm some hope that Evelyn can be saved.

"Three days." Malcolm glares down at the floor, his hands clenched in tight fists. "And even if they left within an hour of Cole's getting there they'd still be two days out."


	7. Chapter 7

Pacing around by the side of the bed, Malcolm occasionally stops to place his hand on Evelyn's chest to assure himself that she's still breathing. He can't hear her breathe over the beating of his own heart. "Maker, haven't you taken enough from me?" He whispers, wiping away stray tears that escape from his eyes.

"Leandra is fed, changed, and napping." Mia stands by the foot of the bed, worry etched onto her face as she looks down at Evelyn. "I'll go out on the porch to see if anyone is coming." Malcolm nods, numbly, trying to reconcile with the fact that they most likely won't make it in time. In the day and a half since she fell unconscious, Evelyn's health has been rapidly deteriorating. Her breathing is so faint that her chest barely looks like it's moving, and her fever broke but her temperature started dropping. Evelyn's skin is cooler to the touch than it should be. Malcom knows it's only a matter of time.

 

The sound of feet thundering up the stairs wakes him from his dozing. Quickly, he checks to see if Evelyn is still alive. She is, but only just. Her chest stills for a little longer each time between breathes. Solana comes running into the room with Dorian right behind her, stopping beside Malcolm. She summons as much healing magic as she can in one spell and casts in on Evelyn. Dorian sits on the other side of the bed and rubs his hands over Evelyn's exposed skin to warm her up with a heating spell. "Please work." Malcolm begs, "Please bring her back to me."


	8. Chapter 8

Mia glares at her brother and Malcolm. "Shut up, the pair of you!" She screams, accidentally waking the baby. Going to the bassinet, she gently picks Leandra up. Turning to face the men-children again, she flashes them her fiercest scowl. "Cullen, you screwed up and Evelyn moved on. It's not Malcolm's fault you're an ass. Malcolm, he didn't cause any of this to happen, no one did. Sometimes complications happen, especially with the first baby. It does neither you nor anyone else any good to lash out because you're scared. I want the both of you, and that strange boy out, now."

"I'm not leaving my family." Malcolm says, crossing his arms like a petulant child.

"Get. Out." Mia practically pushes the two men and one spirit out of the room, slamming the door in their faces. Malcolm glowers at Cullen, before heading down stairs to start cooking. The need to keep busy, to keep his hands moving is the only thing helping him stay sane at all.

 

"You still have feelings for her." Cole's voice quiet, he and Cullen standing in the hallway just outside the room Evelyn is in, fighting for her life. Cullen looks down at his feet, guilt pooling in his stomach. "She doesn't feel the same, not since..."

"I know." Cullen growls cutting Cole off, "I screwed up. I don't need yet another reminder of how I failed."

"This isn't about you." Dorian's voice makes Cullen look up. "And if you truly cared for her, you never would have used her as you did. No excuses." Setting his hands on Cullen's shoulders, Dorian stares into his eyes. "They have a family, Cullen. Hawke is terrified that he's going to lose his wife, that their daughter will never know her mother. Put your issues aside this one time, and help them."

"How is she?" Cullen asks, praying they got there in time.

"No change, Solana is still trying to save her. Your sister is taking care of little Leandra." Dorian sighs, pinching his nose. "We should go downstairs and help Hawke, and you should apologize."

"I will." Cullen nods solemnly. "I will remember that he's hurting right now, and to not take what he says to heart."

"Good man." Dorian pats Cullen on the back. Both of the men and Cole head downstairs to help Malcolm and to try to keep their own minds occupied. 


	9. Chapter 9

Malcolm stands by the hearth, stirring the stew while he listens to Cullen and Dorian bicker playfully over a game of chess on an old board he had found when cleaning. "Cousin." Solana's voice makes Malcolm's heart stop a moment. Taking a deep breath, he turns to face her.

"Is she?" The rest of the question doesn't make it past his throat, an instant panic overwhelming him more and more with each beat of his heart.

"She will live." Malcolm pulls Solana into a tight embrace, squeezing her as hard as he can. "She is still unconscious, but her infection has been healed completely, and her temperature and breathing are both regular again."

"When will she wake up?"

"I do not know, she was in labor for a very long time." Solana extracts herself from her cousin's arms. "I will stay with her until she is completely healthy."

"Thank you, cousin. I can't put it in words how much this truly means to me." Malcolm rubs his eyes, to keep himself from crying. "Evelyn is..."

"I understand, Malcolm. After we eat, you should go up and see your family."

 

Leaning over the bassinet, Malcolm gently touches his daughter. He smiles when his touch makes Leandra smile in her sleep. "I love you, my baby girl," he whispers. Moving over to Evelyn, he sits in the chair beside the bed. Holding her hand, Malcolm lowers his mouth to it, planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Wake up my love, my wife. Please." A hand on his shoulder makes him jump.

"She will be ok, needs to rest." Cole smiles at Malcolm. "You should rest too. Mia and Solana will take care of the baby."

"Thank you Cole." The spirt nods and disappears. Walking around to the other side of the bed, Malcolm takes his boots off and slides into bed beside the woman he loves.


	10. Chapter 10

Opening her eyes Evelyn looks around and smiles. Slowly, she sits up, expecting to still be in pain, but is pleasantly surprised when there is none. When Leandra starts to cry, she moves to stand up, but Solana reaches her daughter before she can get out of bed. "Thank you." Evelyn smiles as Solana hands Leandra to her. Holding her daughter, Evelyn adjusts her top so she can feed her.

"I brought a gift for Leandra, from Alistair." Solana holds up a stuffed unicorn. "It was something Alistair carried with him when we traveled throughout the year we fought the blight. He said it was why we got around Ferelden so quickly." Solana laughs at the memory. "He said it helped us move at lightning fast speeds."

"Tell him I said thank you." Evelyn sets the toy on her nightstand. "Do you know if Malcolm has been taking care of himself when I was ill?" She asks, looking down at her sleeping husband.

"I only got here yesterday, but from the way he looked, probably not."

"I was afraid of that when I started to get feel sick." Evelyn gently switches Leandra to her other breast. "I was worried that he would work himself sick trying to keep busy. If I... If I died, Leandra would need him, and it scared me that he might work himself to death in grief."

"I doubt Mia would have let that happen."

"She's a good woman. I'm lucky that she arrived when she did. We were going to head for Redcliffe in a day or two for the midwife there, but we would have never made it, and I would have died. Leandra might have as well. The thought of leaving Malcolm alone... It's too much to bear." Solana reaches over and squeezes Evelyn's arm.

"You don't have to." Solana says, trying to comfort her cousin. "You and the baby are alive and well. Concentrate on that."

"Thank you, for everything." Evelyn cradles Leandra in her arms, watching her fall asleep before looking back over at Solana.

"It is my pleasure. You and Malcolm are my family, the only family I have left apart from Alistair. I'll always be there for you." Solana reaches out for Leandra. "Let me put her in her bassinet, you should rest some more." Evelyn carefully hands her daughter to her cousin, and watches her be laid down before falling back to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Evelyn gently rocks Leandra to sleep before setting her back down. She leans over her daughter, humming softly, her heart full to bursting with love for her little family. Daydreaming about the future, Evelyn thinks of all the moments she'll get to see now. All of Leandra's firsts, family meals, teaching her little one as she grows, watching Malcolm be a father to her, raising their little girl in a house full of love, instead of obligation and duty. 

"Evelyn." Malcolm's voice snaps Evelyn out of her daydream. When she turns to face him, he's holding his arms out to her. Evelyn walks to the bed and his arms. A choked sob erupts from Malcolm's throat, his body shaking as he cries into her neck.

"It okay my love, I'm here. I'm alive. We're here, together." Evelyn rocks Malcolm in her arms, making soothing sounds.

"I almost lost you, if Mia wasn't here, I could have lost both of you." Malcolm says, barely able to speak, his crying turning to uncontrollable sobs. Evelyn holds him as tightly as she can, chanting softly that she's alive, that she's not going anywhere, and that they will grow old together. Malcolm's tears slowly subside, as the last of the emotions he had been feeling since Evelyn went into labor flows from him. Pulling away from her, Malcolm stares at her face, as if trying to memorize every last detail. He kisses all over her face, telling her how much he loves her between each kiss.

"I love you too, Malcolm." Cupping his face with her hands, Evelyn gazes into Malcolm's eyes, hoping he can see how much she loves him. When he leans into to kiss her, she knows he can.


	12. Chapter 12

Evelyn and Malcolm's story continues in a second series!  
http://archiveofourown.org/series/276858


End file.
